Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-13

AyDE
The Earshsuakc. Of the wild West No
lcss Damage Than Those Oh -
Ef1cse East.
From the New York Sun
The earthquake superiority OF the Pacific coast,
threatened with eclipse by the performances OF
the Charleston earthquake "a again assured. the
new earthquake district has won no very envtsoie
distinction; but as it Is distinction that can %
more cheaply carried where population is sparse,
II is well that the West should have the honor. TX
the crust OF the continent win DO ell It's settling N
The Territories for q few years 70 come, and hioe
all attendant pyrotechnic displays In their noun
TAIN Businesses, the ola settlements win make no
But the performances OF the far West IN the
way OF earthquakes are by no means remarkable.
maps nad population been more dense In that sec
non the record might occasionally have received q
the paes e cea nsa But the ss o
nttie during the period OF recorded historical
events; and when we come 20 look up their record
we are compelled 20 admit, with feeling OF some
disappointment, that they are no great shakes
after all
IA the first place we ma that between the year
1864 when the first missionaries began 20 pene.
trate into the region now known as california,
and the year OF 1880, there is no mention made OF
any earthquake whatever, not even so much as q
tremor. This Is somewhat remarksble since
earthquakes even OF the mildest manners are apt
We are bounr 20 conclude, therefore, that during
the first thirty years OF Pacific coast history
either the good fathers or the earth must have
slept very profoundly Probabilities favor the
notion that the profound sleeper must have been
But after the year 800 there seems 60 bav. been
an awakening. The earth became perturbed An
unQuiet spirit seemed 10 be moving from It's center
20 It's circumference and this spirit began finally
TO materlalze Itself In surface manifestations The
mission houses OF Southern California began 10
rest unstesaity on their FOUNDATIONS Al last, In
Capistrano, in Los Angeles County. came tumb-
ling down on the heads Of large number OF the
worshipng congregation, and many persons
thereafter as an earthquake could reach a point
100 miles distant, the mission church OF Purfssma
Ia SANTA barpara County, shared the same fate,
and with precisely similar Consequences. Timing
its movements 10 these events the sea also In the
neighborhood, retreated far out from its shores,
and, having gathered force, II returned In a roar.
ing succession OF great waves that went thunder.
ing inland until they finally broke down against
the impregnable hills. This finished the nantes
Jations for time or at least 10 have so far
broken the back OF the subterranean demon that
he mad no strength LETT TO produce anything more
feepleness could be productive OF no greater dsss-
ter than panic. Down TO the year 1850, although
not TOO long to be remembered nothing OF snfiicen1
Importance occurred 10 take a place In general
| history; The manifestations Of unsteadiness In
the gloDe were only sufncfentiy violent TO keep
alive a scienJinc Interest In the subject,
Since 1850 close record has been kept and We
know precisely how many times California has
been shaken In whole or in part, and. while fr
must be admitted that the occasions have been
frequent enough TO give the San Francisco Acade-
my OF Science an apparently endless theme for
discussion, and TO make the Institution seem ike
an art1cuiate seismometer, IL cannot be said thar
much harm has been done. In the year 1850 there
| were nve shocks; In the year 1851 six, one OF
| which was severe enough TO break windows
| throw down merchandise, and cause the ships In
| 1852, year not distinguished for the number If
shocks, there was one manifestation OF sufficient
violence TO open mud volcano In the Colorado
Desert In 1853 the number OF shocks reached
| total OF fifteen and some OF the number were Sc.
| we're. The year 1854 gave total OF u; 1855 IL:
a aSSo "a; aso., IA; ls5s 8; lsSs same number.
however, was severe enough 10 ring church bells.
only one shock startled california In 1881 and
ony Two and ive respectively. This is TAR fIlus
tratlon OF the frequency Of California earthQuak.
shocks In these latter years and while IL VIII be
seen That they come often enough To INTERFERE with
the popularity OF elevator buildings they are net
| by any means continuous nor violent enough TO
overcome the attractions OF fine climate for per-
But earthquakes are a source OF considerable en-.
tertainment In California. On September A. in the
River In the central portion Of the sierra Nevada
mountains. They had been disturbed a great deal
during inc night by su5terranean noises, but thus
was not thought serious cause for uneasiness
| Al O'Clock In the morning, however there canse
| the crisis The subterranean mutterings swelltd
into roar, tall trees were swayed 10 and fro "a
| though about 10 De prostrated, and huge boulder
were sent tumbiing down the sides or the Gins in
| threatening proximity 10 their eneampnent They
were obliged TO decamp speedily and seek more
open ground, stimulated In their movements by a
succession OF shocks-forty-one Ia the FIRST hour
oy actual count The disturbances continued M
| to the morning OF the 9th, and at that time the
4 sportsmen had counted 500 shocks
| All parts or the Paclfc coast seem 10 offer very
good fields for the study OF seismic phenomenal n
| student Is DESTROYS or obtaining his facts by ac-
| tual observation. lsanotsky Pass In the Aleuta q
| Islands, was once naNlgable. IL IL not nayigahle
h discovered rhaf
earthquake had been putting It's anJic disposition
on In the neighborhood nearly lost his schooner IA
making the discovery.
| Thanks TO the fact that America is believed TO
have been the FIRST continent up in the early MORN
Ing OF creation, We have reason TO hope that the
luore violent disturbances or the eastern hem,s-
phere Will never be paralleled this side OF the
| globe. We are furthest Oh the road toward An
| equilibrium
1 ALLEGED JURY PACKING IN CHICAGo.-up 70 last
| evening not a single man had been found Who q